Geno Smith had the Detroit Lions' number with the Seattle Seahawks, and Lions coach Dan Campbell hasn't forgotten that now that Smith is in New York.
"He’s been the death of us too many times," Campbell said Friday, Sept. 25. "So our guys are very aware of it."
Smith, who leads the 1-1 New York Jets into Ford Field this weekend, has made four starts against the Lions in his career and had three straight 300-yard passing games at Ford Field as Seahawks quarterback from 2022-24.
He threw for 320 yards and two touchdowns in a 48-45 Seahawks win in 2022, followed that with 328 yards and two touchdowns in an overtime victory in 2023, and had a career-high 395 yards in a 42-29 loss at Ford Field in 2024.
In three starts against the Lions with the Seahawks,
Smith had 1,043 yards passing and five touchdowns with one interception and another 107 yards rushing and one score. The Seahawks went 2-1 in those games and scored an average of 38 points.
His only other start against the Lions came in his first stint with the Jets in 2014.
After a down year with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2025, Smith is off to a solid start in his second go-round in New York. He's completed 70.8% of his passes for 462 yards with one touchdown and no turnovers through two games.
Campbell said the Jets offense is nothing like the one Smith ran in Seattle, but Smith is just as dangerous a quarterback.
"It's different, and so take that for what it is in the system that they run," Campbell said. "But our guys are very aware of what he’s done to us and what’s capable of. This guy sits in the pocket and he’s looking to deliver one of these downfield, and if it’s not, it’s checkdown. And he doesn’t care about the rush, and if you give him a lane he will still take it and he can still hurt you with his legs and then make throws down the field once he’s out of the pocket."
Injury update
Thomas Harper missed his third straight practice Friday with an ankle injury, and his expected absence Sunday against the Jets would further thin the Lions' secondary.
Christian Izien is expected to replace Avonte Maddox in the starting lineup at safety alongside Chuck Clark, and Campbell said rookie cornerback Keith Abney, practice squad defensive back Jalen Mills and Bishop Fitzgerald, whom the Lions signed off the Steelers' practice squad this week, are next in line for snaps at the position.
"That’ll kind of come down to the wire here over the next couple of days," Campbell said. "If Harp can’t go for sure, then who is it that we also bring and then need in reserve? But Izzy’s going to be a huge part for us."
Offensive guard Ben Bartch also missed his third straight practice Friday with a foot injury and is not expected to play against the Jets. Bartch missed most of last season with a Lisfranc injury, but Campbell said he does not believe the veteran lineman's latest injury is a long-term concern.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lions coach Dan Campbell: Jets QB Geno Smith has 'been the death of us'
